Chevrolet in the United States has unveiled a new Commodore-based NASCAR racer, in the process revealing key design elements of the 2013 Holden Commodore.

The 2013 NASCAR Chevrolet SS will race at the Daytona Speedweeks in February and as a Holden in Australia at the 2013 Clipsal 500 in March.

Likely to be the last Australian designed large car, the 2013 vehicle sports a new front and rear end, as shown on images revealed by Chevrolet at the Los Angeles motor show, as well as lightweight components such as an aluminium bonnet and electric steering system.

The light-weighting of the Commodore, to be known as the VF series, was assisted by $40 million from the federal government’s Green Car plan.

VF production in Adelaide will be followed by two new cars from Holden after 2016, most likely a successor to the Cruze small car and a more compact sedan or an SUV to replace the Commodore.